I gaze at the scene before me, standing at the academy gate with its towers rising in the distance, glowing in the light of the setting sun. I drag my suitcase along the ground, and my backpack rests on my shoulders.
I hold my phone and talk to Sia, my eyes scanning the crowd searching for her.
We had agreed to arrive together, but I overslept and ended up being late... and now, I'm the one looking for her.
It's my first year at the academy, and the sky is gradually turning orange with the sunset, as if quietly welcoming me.
As I looked around, I caught sight of a hand waving in the air. I quickly lifted my gaze, and there was Sia, not far away, her calm smile reaching me before she did.
I walked toward her in quick steps.
"Finally!" Sia said, placing her hands on her hips. "I thought you got lost or decided to back out at the last minute."
I smirked. "I almost did, but then I thought about the suitcase and figured I couldn't just drag it back home."
Sia shook her head and started walking beside me toward the inner courtyard. "You haven't change a bit. At least you made it before the gate closed."
I looked up at the tall iron gate slowly starting to shut and said calmly,
"Looks like I made it just in time... as always."
We stepped through the gate just before it closed completely, the sound of its metal scraping behind us feeling like a barrier sealing off two worlds.
Inside, the courtyard opened up to a breathtaking scene: wide stone pavements stretched between grand buildings, each bearing a different architectural style, as if the academy had been woven from multiple eras. Fountains simmered under the sunset light, and massive trees cast long shadows over the pathways, filled with the lively sounds of students.
I paused for a moment, taking it all in "this place.. It's bigger than I expected."
Sia smiled as she looked toward the main tower standing at the center of the courtyard."just wait until you see it from the inside. Pictures never did it justice."
We continued walking through the crowd, every step is a reminder of that this was no longer just an idea or a dream... This was the beginning of something real.
We followed the signs toward the dormitory building designated for new students. The building stood at the edge of the courtyard, surrounded by a small garden filled with the scent of carefully tended herbs. The reflective glass windows shimmered with the colors of the sunset, as if the building itself were breathing in the light.
We entered through the main door, greeted by the smell of old wood and the warmth radiating from walls painted in shades of ivory and pale gold. The hallways were quiet, carpeted with thick rugs that muffled the sound of footsteps.
"Our room is on the third floor, Wing C," Sia said, glancing at a small paper with the room numbers.
We climbed the stone staircase carefully, and when we reached our floor, Sia unlocked the door with her key. We stepped inside, and I took a moment to take it all in.
The room was simple but cozy: two beds facing each other, two desks beside a large window, and a wooden wardrobe for each of us. The soft orange glow of the evening sun filled the room, making it feel warmer than I had expected.
I set my suitcase down and sighed, "Finally... some stability."
Sia chuckled as she threw herself onto one of the beds: "We haven't even started yet, just wait until the first class."
. . .
After we settled a bit in our room, we decided to head out and explore the academy.
We wandered through wide corridors and lively courtyards, each corner seeming to hold a story from another era.
As my eyes roamed between the towering columns and high windows, they fell upon a massive door at the end of one of the hallways.
The door was enormous, so huge that an elephant could have easily passed beneath it. And above it, a single word was elegantly engraved:
"Library."
The moment I read the word, emotions surged through me uncontrollably.
I grabbed Sia's arm tightly.
She stopped abruptly, staring at me in surprise and said,
"What's wrong?! You scared me!"
I was too entranced by the door to respond. Sia turned to see what had caught my attention, but I didn't give her a chance to comment. I had already disappeared.
I pushed open the massive door and stepped inside, feeling as if something inside was calling me.
I faintly heard Sia's heavy sigh and her voice saying,
"That girl... she's definitely going to get stuck in there."
--------------------------------
I followed Asper inside the grand hall, where towering shelves filled with books welcomed me like walls constructing an entirely different world.
Textbooks, volumes on magic, silly romantic novels, everything one could imagine was here.
I wandered through the vast aisles, calling out in a hushed voice,
"Asper? Where are you?"
I knew she probably wouldn't hear me easily among these towering walls.
Suddenly, my gaze fell on something that made me forget everything else.
"Oh my God..." I whispered, my eyes widening with excitement,
"Isn't this the third volume of the romance novel I've been searching for months?!"
I reached out for the book, but before I could touch it, a firm male voice interrupted my thoughts from behind:
"Who's there?"
I froze for a moment, then slowly turned around.
There stood a tall man with fiery red hair reaching the end of his neck. His golden eyes, cold and piercing, locked onto mine with an intensity that made it impossible to look away... even though it felt they could hurt you.
I noticed a gleaming earrings in his right ear, reflecting the dim light.
He spoke in a calm yet firm tone:
"I know you're a new student, but you should be mature enough to realize that raising your voice in the library is prohibited."
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and responded with a slight edge:
"And who exactly are you?"
He gave a faint smile that barely touched his lips and answered with confidence:
"I'm the Student Council President."
I raised an eyebrow, a mix of curiosity and defiance in my voice as I said:
"Student Council President? Really? And what exactly are you doing here? Guarding the books or the students?"
He smirked with a faint trace of mockery and replied:
"Everything related to maintaining order falls under my responsibility. And now, I suggest you quietly leave before I have to take formal action."
I stared at him steadily and asked, my voice carrying a hint of challenge:
"Does the Student Council President really have the authority to order me out of the library?"
His expression didn't change; instead, a faint, almost invisible smile tugged at his lips as he answered calmly:
"I need to make sure all students are back in their dorms before curfew starts."
I sighed deeply, turning my gaze away from him then I lifted the book I already took it and pointed at it with a hint of stubbornness in my tone:
"I want to take this."
I couldn't believe I was finally going to spend the night with this book!
At last, I would know the ending of the story I had been waiting for months to discover. I could already picture myself staying up all night, completely lost in its pages, until dawn broke-
"You can't."
I froze where I stood, still clutching the book tightly, staring at him in stunned disbelief.
I froze in place for a moment, staring at him as if I hadn't heard correctly.
I raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, my voice laced with a hint of sarcasm:
"Sorry, what did you say?"
He remained standing there, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet confidence as he repeated:
"I said you can't take the book. Borrowing books requires official registration, and the library is already closed."
I blinked several times, trying to process his words.
I could feel the excitement that had been filling me slowly start to dissolve.
I waved the book slightly, my voice taking on a near-pleading tone:
"But I've been looking for this for months! Can't we just... bend the rules this one time? I promise... I'll stay completely quiet afterward."
He stared at me for a long moment, as if measuring my determination, or maybe just testing my patience.
Then he spoke, his tone calm yet firm:
"The librarian isn't here right now. You can come back tomorrow and officially borrow the book."
Frustration flared up inside me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and said, my voice tinged with disbelief:
"What if someone else comes and takes it before I do? You would never understand that feeling!"
He raised one eyebrow coldly, as if resisting the urge to roll his eyes, then said:
"That's why you need to fill out a reservation form, to put it-
Before he could finish, I cut him off, stretching my hand out eagerly:
"Give it to me, I'll fill it out right now. It's just a piece of paper, you can print it or write it or whatever, right?"
For a moment, he looked like he was silently cursing his luck.
Then he let out a long, heavy sigh, as if I had just derailed his whole evening.
Finally, he said in a resigned tone:
"Follow me."
But before we could take a single step, he added one more firm instruction:
"And... once you're done filling out the form, you'll head straight back to your dorm. Understood?"
I flashed a bright smile and nodded enthusiastically:
"Understood!"
I followed his brisk steps between the towering shelves, hugging the book tightly to my chest as if I were carrying a treasure.
We were walking between the towering bookshelves, surrounded by the sacred silence of the library, when he suddenly spoke in a businesslike, slightly cold tone:
"By the way, once you fill out the form, you'll be officially registered as a library user."
I paused for a second, staring at him with mild surprise, then asked, my voice full of curiosity:
"An official user? What exactly does that mean?"
He didn't bother to turn to me. Instead, he answered as he made his way toward a desk cluttered with papers and booklets :
"Not everyone is interested in the library. Even though there are countless valuable books here, only a very small number of students actually borrow them. And since there's no one in charge of organizing and cleaning the place, the official users, those who frequent the library, help out with that."
I raised my eyebrows with genuine interest and said:
"interesting..."
The president stepped forward and began sifting through the papers, opening a few drawers.
He grabbed a sheet, glanced at it briefly, then placed it in front of me and handed me a pen.
"Fill this out, and write the name of the book you want to reserve."
I took the pen as if I were about to sign an eternal contract, and eagerly began filling in the blanks with a childlike enthusiasm.
At one point, without even realizing it, I drew a small heart next to my name, only to quickly erase it in a flustered panic.
When I finished, I handed him the form with a triumphant smile.
"Here it is!"
He took it silently, gave it a quick glance, then placed it on top of the other papers at the edge of the desk.
I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, my gaze drifting back to the book in my hands, already imagining the long night ahead as I lost myself in its pages...
But suddenly, the sound of papers and booklets crashing to the floor snapped me out of my daydream.
I quickly lifted my head to find the documents scattered everywhere, and the president kneeling down, collecting them with a noticeably irritated expression, his sighs heavy with frustration.
I asked cautiously as I watched him grumble while picking up the papers.
"Need any help?"
He raised his head and shot me a cold look that made me instantly regret opening my mouth, then said in a firm tone,
"No. Go back to your dorm immediately."
"As you wish," I muttered.
I took a few steps back, turned around, and quietly left the library.
When I got back to the dorm, I suddenly realized that Asper wasn't with me. Great! Just perfect. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen?
Even though… it was clearly past curfew. And it's only the first day!
I stepped into the suite I shared with I Asper and two other girls. One of them was sitting on the couch across from the door. As I closed it behind me, she looked up and greeted me with a smile.
"Hey there."
"Hi."
"Breaking curfew on your first day?"
I smiled nervously and replied
"Haha, it's just thirteen minutes… let's not count it."
Just then, a blonde girl walked out of one of the rooms, holding a dress in her hand. She turned to the girl on the couch and asked,
"This one looks better, right?"
The seated girl gave her a polite smile and said,
"Yeah, it's lovely. Hurry up, we don't want to be late."
I hesitated before asking,
"Umm… are you two going somewhere?"
"Oh, are you a first-year?"
"Yes."
"Great. You're going to have fun with us. Want to change your clothes?"
"Huh? Where to?"
"A party."
"A party? At this hour?"
Why is she being so vague?Suspicious.
Also… a party? Haha sweetheart, there's no way I'm giving up on something I've waited a whole year for!
"There are secret student parties after midnight, teachers don't know about them. You coming?"
"So… technically illegal?"
"For the Academy? Yes."
Sounds like some nightclub.
I might've gone, but Asper's late and that's odd. Most likely, she's still caught up in the library.
"Maybe another night. I'm not really in the mood for parties right now."
"You'll be missing out, but no pressure."
She's definitely trying to tempt me into going.
"What's your name, by the way? I'm Sia."
"I'm Ansley. Let's make sure we have tons of fun together, Sia."
I shaked her hand and said with a smile
"Definitely."
"Give me your contact info. Just call me if you change your mind."
"My phone's dead, and I don't think I will. You girls go and have fun."
"Suit yourself."
She shrugged and headed to her room.
I quickly went into mine and called Asper. Where is she?!
Judging by how stressed the Student Council President looked, I doubt he even noticed she was there. Could he have locked her in?
Even if he did, Asper isn't the type to be easily trapped. She'd find a way out.
Still… she should be back by now.
That leaves two possibilities: either she completely lost track of time and stayed in there,unlikely. Or she left and something happened on the way.
Maybe a professor caught her, or she tripped somewhere.
No answer. I'd already called her twice.
Why am I this anxious on day one of the Academy?
In any case, she can handle herself.
Now it's my turn to enjoy myself…
Let's start with this book.